Pork belly is a boneless cut of fatty meat from the belly of a pig. Curing and smoking it low and slow makes it tender, juicy, and flavorful. Heres how to smoke pork belly to perfection!.
We started making our own bacon a few years ago. Back then, there were not a lot of paleo or Whole30 bacon options on the market. Most bacon you can buy at the store has sugar, chemicals you can’t pronounce, and things that keep it fresh.
I wanted something I could do in bulk easily with off the shelf ingredients, so I started experimenting.
Curing and smoking your own pork belly to make bacon may seem intimidating but it’s actually quite straightforward. With the right techniques you can easily turn a fresh slab of pork belly into delicious homemade smoked bacon with custom flavors.
In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn step-by-step how to properly cure and smoke pork belly. I’ll share tips on choosing the right cut of meat, making your own dry cure, flavor ideas, smoking methods and more. Let’s get started!
Selecting The Best Pork Belly For Homemade Bacon
The first step is to get a good slab of pork belly from a grocery store or butcher near you. Here are some tips:
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Look for a belly that is around 15 to 2 inches thick with nice marbling throughout This ensures great texture.
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Size can range from 2 to 10 pounds depending on batch size. Get the same thickness throughout.
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Inspect the skin and cut surface. Avoid bellies with tears, blemishes or strange odors.
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Make sure the skin is attached. It helps retain moisture and shape during curing and smoking.
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Go for the freshest belly you can find. The pork should look moist and pink, not dried out.
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For added convenience, ask the butcher to remove the skin and square off the slab.
With a nice thick pork belly in hand, you’re ready to move on to curing and smoking.
Creating A Dry Cure For Pork Belly Bacon
A dry cure is the best and most common way to cure pork belly for homemade bacon. Here are the main components you’ll need:
Salt – Most recipes call for 1⁄4 to 1⁄3 cup salt per 1 pound of belly. Table salt, kosher salt or sea salt all work. The salt penetrates the meat, firms it up and adds flavor.
Sugar – Usually 1 to 3 tablespoons of brown sugar or maple sugar per pound of belly is used. The sugar balances saltiness and gives a hint of sweetness.
Curing Salt – A small amount of sodium nitrite curing salt (like Prague Powder #1 or Insta Cure #1) is crucial for safety and color. Use 1 teaspoon per 5 pounds pork.
Spices – Add pepper, garlic powder, paprika, crushed red pepper or herbs like rosemary, sage or thyme to give your bacon extra flavor.
Liquid – A bit of liquid like bourbon or apple juice helps the cure adhere and impart subtle flavor.
Mix the ingredients into a paste and thoroughly coat the pork belly. Place it in a zip top bag or container, sealing well.
Curing The Pork Belly
Once your dry cure is prepared, it’s time to cure the pork belly:
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Place the belly in a non-reactive container and coat all surfaces evenly with the dry cure paste.
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Seal the container and refrigerate for 7 days per inch of thickness, flipping the meat over every other day.
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After curing, rinse off any cure and pat the belly completely dry. It should feel firm to the touch.
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Let the belly rest overnight on a wire rack in the fridge to form a sticky pellicle layer.
Proper curing gives the pork belly great flavor and texture. Follow recipe specifics for exact cure times.
How To Smoke Pork Belly For Bacon
With the pork belly fully cured, it’s ready for the smoker. Here are some smoking tips:
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Set up your smoker or grill for indirect heating, with a water pan if possible. Target 200°F to 225°F.
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Use mild fruit woods like apple, peach, cherry or maple to enhance bacon flavor.
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Place the belly on the top grate, away from direct heat. Maintain even, low temperature.
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Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the belly, keeping the tip centered and away from bone.
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Smoke the pork belly until the internal temp reaches 150°F, about 3 hours.
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For extra flavor, baste with maple syrup, bourbon or coffee during the final 30 minutes.
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Once smoked, chill the bacon completely before slicing into strips or cubes.
Low and slow smoking gives the bacon a nice color and imbues it with subtle smoky essence. Resist sampling until fully chilled!
Handy Tips For Making Smoked Pork Belly Bacon
Here are some additional pointers to ensure success curing and smoking pork belly:
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Trim any skin before curing – it can harbor bacteria. Leave a thin layer of fat.
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Weigh the belly slab before curing to calculate ingredients accurately.
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Mix the dry cure well and coat every surface evenly for proper penetration.
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Use a non-reactive dish like glass or food-grade plastic to cure meat. Avoid metal.
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Flip the belly over in the cure daily to prevent sticking and distribute spices.
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Rinse cured meat well before smoking – the pellicle won’t form if surface is slimy.
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Maintain steady low heat in the smoker. Uneven temps cause fat rendering.
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Use a quality digital thermometer. Stop smoking at 150°F for tender, not dried out bacon.
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Chilling overnight firms up the bacon slices and makes cutting easier.
Follow these tips and you’ll be rewarded with perfect homemade bacon every time.
Common Questions About Curing And Smoking Pork Belly
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about the pork belly bacon process:
What’s the best wood for smoking bacon?
Fruit woods like apple, cherry and peach give bacon a mild sweetness. Maple also pairs nicely with pork. Stay away from intense mesquite smoke.
Can you cold smoke pork belly?
Yes, you can cold smoke for up to 3 days before finishing with a short hot smoke to 150°F internal temp. This gives very robust smoke flavor.
What if my pork belly is thicker than 2 inches?
Increase dry cure time to 10-14 days for bellies 2.5 to 3 inches thick. Flip daily during curing.
How long does cured uncooked pork belly last?
Cured unsmoked pork belly will last 2-3 weeks refrigerated. Once smoked, it keeps 3 months refrigerated or 6 months frozen.
Can I use Morton’s Tender Quick instead of curing salt?
Yes, substitute 1 tablespoon of Tender Quick for 1 teaspoon of sodium nitrite curing salt in any dry cure bacon recipe.
What causes white powder on cured bacon?
This harmless white bloom is caused by saltpeter reacting to moisture and impurities on the meat surface. Rinsing and drying the belly well prevents it.
Conclusion
With the right preparation and techniques, you can easily cure and smoke pork belly at home to create amazing artisanal bacon. Use a dry cure of salt, sugar and spices for flavor. Cold smoke for up to 3 days or hot smoke around 225°F until the internal temp hits 150°F. Cool completely before slicing and frying to crispy perfection.
How to cure pork belly
Making pork belly comes down to two essential steps – curing and heating. The curing step is the trickier of the two.
My goal was to come up with a sugar-free cure for pork belly that would still taste good and be Whole30-friendly.
Most recipes for homemade pork belly call for a dry cure, which is just putting the pork belly in a bag with salt, brown sugar, and other spices for a few days. The majority of the bacon you buy at the store has been dry cured.
An alternate strategy to curing pork belly is with a brine. For a few days, you have to soak the pork belly slab in a mixture of salt, sugar, spices, and water.
When experimenting with brining, I was able to skip sugar by replacing the liquid with apple cider. Even though this worked, the naturally sweet cider had to be watered down or I had to add a lot more salt and other spices to get the right flavor.
This method also needed a lot more space in the fridge during the several-day curing process, because liquids expand to fill the space they are given.
How long to smoke pork belly
Whatever grill or smoker you use, the first step is to preheat it to 225°. For this tutorial, we are working with a Traeger Ironwood 885 smoker and wood pellet grill.
Make sure you have a meat thermometer with you so you can check the pork belly’s internal temperature. If the pork is cooked to over 165°, Trichinella and any other germs that might be in it will be killed.
I recommend smoking for 3 hours. Think about the fact that you will probably still slice and cook the pork belly after smoking it. It can be fried like bacon slices or cooked in chunks to get that crispy outside.
When making bacon, I don’t think a longer cook time is always a bad thing. But if you get the internal temperature too high, the bacon might be too dry the second time you cook it.
